Supreme Court legalizes gay marriage in Wisconsin

Abbi Huber, 23, left, and Talia Frolkis, 27, both of Madison, Wis. exit the City County Building in Madison after applying for a marriage license with the Dane County Clerk of Courts Monday, Oct. 6, 2014. Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court turned away appeals from Wisconsin and four other states seeking to prohibit same-sex marriages, paving the way for an immediate expansion of gay and lesbian unions. (AP Photo/Wisconsin State Journal, John Hart)(Photo11: John Hart, AP)

Angela and Kiersten Bloechl-Karlsen celebrated a bittersweet victory on Monday when the U.S. Supreme Court rejected appeals from Wisconsin and four other states seeking to uphold the states' prohibitions on gay marriage.

On Monday they celebrated the court's action, which immediately legalized same-sex marriages in Wisconsin. But the couple, who married in Oshkosh in June, also said there are more issues surrounding same-sex marriage that need to be addressed.

"It's wonderful to have that validation," Angela Bloechl-Karlsen said. "We would have liked to see a sweeping decision made, but this is a progressive movement. Things have changed and will continue to change."

The couple were able to marry in June after U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb struck down the state's gay marriage ban and temporarily opened the door to same-sex marriage. Attorney General J. B. Van Hollen appealed the decision to the Supreme Court after an appeals court upheld Crabb's ruling.

In the interim, the Bloechl-Karlsens signed on as plaintiffs in an American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin lawsuit seeking formal recognition of their marriage and granting them the rights and privileges opposite-sex married couples receive in Wisconsin.

Angela said Kiersten would like to formally adopt their daughter, Maiken, 2. The couple wants to have more children, too.

"It's the biggest issue for us. It's where we're at in the scheme of our lives. We've been trying to build our family," Angela Bloechl-Karlsen said. "I'm certain there will be other questions as we age together. A lot of other same-sex couples are dealing with those questions right now, too."

On Monday, Gov. Scott Walker declared the fight against gay marriage at an end.

"For us, it's over in Wisconsin. … The federal courts have ruled that this decision by this court of appeals is the law of the land and we will be upholding it," Walker said.

County clerks in Milwaukee and Madison, where most same-sex marriages took place in June, quickly said they would resume accepting license applications from gay couples.

"I think the pent-up demand has been satisfied," Dane County Clerk Scott McDonnell said. "There's probably planning going on in living rooms around the county now. Next summer, we'll have a bunch of same-sex couples in here."

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Allen Borgwardt and Bob Archer apply for their marriage license in the Winnebago County Clerks office as Jean Mahy, clerk secretary goes over the application and talks with the couple. Joe Sienkiewicz / Oshkosh Northwestern Media

Allen Borgwardt and Bob Archer apply for their marriage license in the Winnebago County Clerks office as Jean Mahy, clerk secretary goes over the application. Kathy Flores of the Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship talks with the couple as they wait for the marriage license. Joe Sienkiewicz / Oshkosh Northwestern Media

Allen Borgwardt and Bob Archer come out of the Winnebago County Clerks office jubilant that they finally have their marriage license. They were quick to share with those gathered in the lobby. Joe Sienkiewicz / Oshkosh Northwestern Media